FOR fine dining and exquisite flavours, look no further than Parker's Bistro at the Red Lion in Crowle. This superb restaurant is situated in a lofty, wood-beamed room to the side of the pub and has a rustic, country atmosphere.

But it isn't traditional pub grub being served at this establishment, rather a finely tuned selection of quality dishes.

With a majestic lion painted across the back wall, the restaurant is roomy and oozes class.

On arrival staff were welcoming and cheerful, and quick to bring us our drinks.

The menu was filled with delicious sounding meals, and my partner and I were truly spoilt for choice.

Having finally decided on a starter and main course each, we were pleasantly surprised to see a board of complementary bread and dips arrive.

Despite just being an appetiser, the warm crusty bread was a nice touch before our first course arrived. Served with sunblush tomatoes, olives, olive oil and a tomato-infused butter, the board was soon sat empty.

Excited simply by the standard of bread and dips, we couldn't wait to see what the starters were like. My partner ordered the seafood platter, served on a large wooden paddle with an extraordinary number of different elements.

Not knowing where to start, she worked her way through creamy potted shrimp, a smoked salmon terrine, fishcake sphere, anchovy and olive puff straw and garlic, chilli and ginger sauce.All this came with three small jars containing grainy mustard, seafood sauce and pickled carrots and cucumber. Impressed with every element, my partner struggled to pick one stand-out aspect of the dish. Eventually she decided on the fishcake sphere, which was crisp on the outside, with a fresh, fragrant centre.

There was no jealousy on my part for this wonderful dish though, as I had ordered a trio of king prawns and scallops.

Expecting a tasty course, I was unprepared for the outstanding quality of the dish I was about to experience.

The tender scallops were perfectly complemented by the juicy king prawns, garlic ginger cream, wilted mange tout and pak choi. There was even a delicious smokiness provided from three finely sliced portions of homemade black pudding.

We had no idea such a talented chef worked at the Red Lion, and the quality of his food far exceeded anywhere we had eaten nearby.

Eagerly anticipating our main courses, my partner was served a tender 8oz homemade beef burger in a crisp bun, topped with stringy cheddar cheese and thick slices of bacon.

The burger itself was a monstrous portion, which was impressive given the clear quality of the ingredients. Served with onion rings, a tomato and red pepper relish and thick-cut, lightly salted chips, this dish provided hearty food with a touch of finesse.

I was, however, even more impressed with my own main course. The presentation was exquisite, with a delicious tender stack of pan-fried chicken breast perched on top of creamy spring onion mash.

Beneath the delicious potato was a layer of wilted kale and smoked bacon, and the chicken was topped with a rich wild mushroom and stilton sauce.

Served with a side dish of extra sauce, which turned out to be wholly necessary, there was also a neat tray of roasted al dente vegetables.

The moist chicken coupled with the sauce and potato was spectacular, and after one mouthful the restaurant had already guaranteed my future custom.

For such intricate cooking and carefully presented food, the portion size and affordable prices make this a must-visit venue.

The waitress was kind enough to let our mains settle before offering us a dessert menu, which we looked at purely due to the high standard of the previous two courses.

My partner decided on a knickerbocker glory, which came in a tall glass with a generous topping of chantilly cream. The creamy chocolate and vanilla ice cream were a refreshing end to the meal, but the highlight was the quaint cubes of fruity jelly buried at the base of the dessert.

My own dessert was a perfect circle of chocolate mousse, accompanied by a thin vanilla shortbread, salted caramel and a fruity ball of ice cream. After such a large main I was unable to conquer the mousse, but the rich, bitter chocolate flavour was complemented nicely by the pallet-cleansing ice cream.

There is so much more on the menu that we wanted to try, and a return visit to Parker's Bistro has already been pencilled in.

Compliments must go to head chef Hamish Pascal Pereira – a culinary king that the Red Lion will be very pleased to have overseeing the kitchen. His attention to detail, balance of flavours and ingenuity make the food truly brilliant.